Sui Generis
by impickingtheusername
Summary: After Korra dies, but before the next avatar, firebenders are being burned to death in Republic City. Tai Jinshu is determined to find out who is responsible, but little does she know the killer is closer to her than she thinks.
1. Chapter 1: First Flame

There's a quiet, Earth-Kingdom-themed restaurant tucked in a small corner of Republic City, and if you ever get the chance, the dumplings alone are well worth the trip. The atmosphere was always lovely, with strings music playing softly and the short lady who made the tea humming along. It was my own, personal escape; a place to go when I needed to think, which I had become much more of a requirement since joining the homicide department.

I sat at a table by the window, enjoying the sweet qingtuan. I had an extra hour for lunch on Tuesday, and with The Chun Shui Tang being a walking distance from the police station, it had become my Tuesday lunch spot. The window was especially clean that day. I could clearly see the people shuffling through the streets outside. Everyone seemed to be in a hurry to be somewhere. The grey world outside looked so different from the calm, earth-toned interior of the restaurant.

The short lady finished sweeping the floor and walked over to me with a decorated teapot.

"Would you like some more tea?" she asked with a polite smile.

I met her eyes and nodded. "Yes, thank you," I answered. She pulled my cup closer to the edge of the table and steadied the teapot, carefully refilling the cup with steaming tea. She set down the teapot and I picked up my cup, blowing the steam off the top and taking a delicate sip. The boiling water burned my tongue but left a refreshing coolness behind.

"Quite a storm we had last night," the short lady said as she picked up the teapot, walking back to set it down by the cash register. I placed the cup down in front of my empty plate.

"Last night?" I hummed. To be honest, I didn't remember much of what happened last night. I had come home exhausted and went to bed early. I honestly didn't remember the weather. "I must have slept through it."

"I wish I could have. I swear, that thunder kept me up half the night.." The short lady calmly walked to the back of the shop, disappearing behind a pale door.

I set down my chopsticks and sat back in the chair. Shutting my eyes, I let out a breath and relaxed my muscles I hadn't realized how tense I was. We had just closed a big case, probably the biggest case I would ever tackle. It felt so nice to be able to relax, let down my guard for a moment and not worry.

However, I knew the peace wouldn't last long. Just as I had taken in the quiet, my cell phone began to buzz. Sighing, I tilted my head forward, reaching half-heartedly for the phone. The small screen on the front showed the icon for a new message. I flipped it open and selected the alert, reading the message quickly. It was from my partner, Bao Dongjie, and was rather simple, as was typical of him. It told me exactly what I needed to know.

"New body, 85 Chaquan st," the pixelated letters read. For a moment, I was struck by an intense panic. I thought we were done with this whole business. It was supposed to be over now. Fortunately, the moment passed and I was able to regain a sense of logic. New body didn't mean that it wasn't over. It meant there was a new case. I worked in the homicide department, for goodness sake.

I set down the chopsticks and stood up, looking over the text again. Of course, it had to be on the other side of the city. I would have to walk back to the station to get my car. The short lady walked back into the room, sans broom, and smiled when she saw me.

"Are you finished?" she asked in a melodic voice. I nodded as I grabbed my bag, shuffling around the papers to find my wallet. "Oh, don't worry, dear. It's on the house!"

I looked up to protest, but she spoke before I could. "No, really, it's fine. You're our most valued customer and a great hero to the city. It's the least we can do."

"Thank you," I said, grabbing my phone and moving towards the door. "I guess I'll see you next Tuesday."

"Looking forward to it." The short lady smiled as I slipped out of the restaurant.

By the time I got to the scene, it seemed like every other person on the case was already there. Dongjie stood in front of what I assumed was the corpse. It was hard to see past him, being that he weighed more than a baby elephant. I hardly needed to flash my badge to get past the police tape.

The site sectioned off was a small, dark alley, barely five feet wide. There was a foul smell in the air, the smell of death and something else that I didn't quite recognize. It left a sour taste in my mouth, quickly replacing the lingering sweetness of my dessert. I stepped around my partner, ready to take in the corpse. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but once I saw the scene, I was able to identify the previously unknown stench.

It was the smell of burnt flesh.

"Not so pretty, huh?" Dongjie said flatly. Indeed, the sight before us was far from pretty. The corpse in front of us was a sickly dark shade of purple, parts of the leathery skin shriveled back to reveal the bright reds and oranges underneath. The right arm was burned off completely, and the left arm was nothing more than a gorey stick. The head was purple and bubbled, yielding the face completely unrecognizable.

It took all my strength not to turn away from the disfigured body. I took a deep breath, trying not to choke on the awful scent, and analyzed the scene. The body was clearly burnt, but the surroundings showed no signs of fire. There was a tall woman I didn't recognize was crouched close to the corpse, closer than I thought was within protocol. Her dark eyes were unblinking as she closely studied the marks.

"What is she doing here?" I asked Dongjie.

"Hm? Oh, Mak?" Dongjie shrugged. "Apparently the Chief called in some professional Fire Analyst. Huo Mak."

"What does a fire analyst do?" I asked, doubt in my voice.

"Analyze the fire?" Donjie suggested, cracking a smile. I turned my attention back to the corpse.

"So, are we thinking a spirit? Or perhaps a firebender?" I suggested.

"Definitely not," the tall woman (Mak, I suppose) stood up suddenly. I noted her slender eyes and pale skin and bit my tongue. Mak was clearly of Fire Nation origin, and, judging from the golden lining on her dark red clothes, she was probably a firebender. "The lower half of the body is burned slightly more than the upper half, suggesting that the fire started on the ground."

"I suppose it is unlikely that a firebender would aim for the feet," I reasoned quietly. "Unlikely, but not impossible."

"Besides, these particular burn patterns suggest the fire was aided by the use of gasoline," Mak continued.

"You're saying the victim was doused?" Dongie asked.

"Definitely," Mak nodded. "All the evidence points to the burning being post-mortem. My theory is that the killer slit the throat of the victim before dousing it in gasoline and lighting the body on fire. It doesn't seem that the fire burned itself out, so it's safe to assume that the killer put the fire out themselves before dumping the body here."

"Burning the body could suggest that there was some physical evidence that the killer wanted to cover up," Dongjie proposed.

"Or perhaps they were trying to frame a firebender," Mak said, eyeing me with a face of annoyance.

"Good thing we have a professional fire analyst on the team," Dongjie gave me a slight nudge and smiled at Mak, who frowned in return.

"Glad to be of service," she said in a sour tone. Mak turned away from us and walked towards the photographers who were beginning to pack up. Passing by Mak on his way to the scene was another familiar face.

"Oh, good afternoon, Jinshu!" the cheerful man with large, crooked glasses and fluffy hair greeted me as he always did.

"Good afternoon, Tamashi," I said with a small smile. Sunan Tamashi was an airbender who worked in the forensics department. I often found myself working alongside him. He wasn't trained in his element as much as I was, but it never seemed to be a problem for him. After all, he was much more content to write long detailed reports than train as an airbender.

"Do you think y'all will be able to identify to the corpse?" Dongjie asked, looking a little miffed that Tamashi didn't greet him.

"Luckily for us, the teeth are in good shape, so we should be able to get a dental match!" Tamashi said, flipping over a page in the folder he carried everywhere. It probably wasn't the same folder, but I couldn't be bothered to find out.

"Is there anything we know about the murder besides what we discussed with Mak?" I asked.

"Well, no witnesses have come forward, and we're still gathering data, so we can't come to any concrete conclusions right now," Tamashi told me. I nodded.

I watched Tamashi walk over to a few people taking samples of the scene. It didn't take long for us to wrap up everything and head back to headquarters.

I'd seen plenty of dead bodies before, but there was something about that burned flesh that was stuck in my mind, like a strange stain that won't wash off no matter what you try. It made me sick.

Sick, rather literally, as it would seem. My head pounded as I drove to work. Even popping some pills into my mouth seemed useless as my headache worsened. Still, I let out a deep breath and made my way into the building, ignoring the pain as much as I could.

A few people greeted me as I made my way to my department, and I nodded and smiled politely in return. Upon arriving at the large room filled with desks covered in papers, I was unsurprised at how lively it was. People shuffled back and forth with thick folders, while others stood around with serious expressions. I took in a deep breath, enjoying the vivid smell of coffee and dust that I had come to associate with a big case.

"Tai, there you are, I've been meaning to speak with you," said in a loud, deep voice from somewhere to my right. I shifted my feet and turned to face the broad-shouldered man with a short clean beard. I straightened back; this was our chief, Jianjun Jinshu.

"Yes, sir," I barked, finding myself hold my hands behind my back. The chief's expression softened.

"About this new case," he began. He opened his mouth to say something but shut it again. He paused for a moment longer before continuing. "It hasn't been that long since your last big case, are you sure-"

"I can do it, Sir," I interrupted him, feeling a small flare of anger begin to bubble. Anyone else wouldn't dare to cut the chief off, but I knew what he was going to say. I twisted the metal cuffs on my arms, a weapon designed for skilled metalbenders like myself and the Chief. "I'm perfectly capable of handling this case. I would hope your personal feelings would not interfere with my placement on the case."

The Chief frowned at me. He didn't seem mad, just upset. There was a sadness in his eyes that made me even angrier. I tried my best to keep my face neutral. I saw him press his lips together, trying to find some secret hidden in my eyes.

"I just know how serious you can take these cases," he finally said. I was tempted to cross my arms but didn't want him to get a read on my emotions via body language. "You can't keep doing these late nights."

"I got it," I snapped. I saw him sigh.

"How are you doing?" he asked. The question surprised me. My head still ached, and it seem like the medicine I had taken did nothing by dampened it the pain. I let my shoulders drop a bit.

"I'm doing fine," I said hesitantly.

"You don't look like you're doing fine," the chief said, taking a step closer to me.

Looking at the ground, I stammered, "I do have a headache."

"You should probably take something for that," the chief said, looking around the room. "I have some ibuprofen in my office."

"I already took something. I'll be fine," I insisted, but the chief shook his head.

"I can't have my star detective getting sick, now can I? Go home and get some rest, we can meet up tomorrow to discuss the case."

"I don't need to go home. I told you, I'm fine."

"I'm just worried-"

"I can handle myself, Dad!" I said a bit louder than I intended. I suddenly felt like a little kid again, saying the first thing that came to mind at the top of my lungs. Fortunately, the place was too busy for anyone to notice my outburst. The chief clenched his fist, but then let them go.

"Go home, Tai. That's an order," he spoke each word carefully.

"Yes sir," I hung my head and grabbed my bag.

I live alone in a small apartment complex close to downtown, so I was mildly surprised to hear sounds coming from my apartment when I reached my door. This was not entirely uncommon. After all, I do have loud neighbors or at least one very loud neighbor. However, I suspected there was a more logical reason for the noises.

Walking into my apartment, I heard the shuffle of someone standing up quickly and a loud bump, followed by an equally loud-

"OOOOOOWWWW!" the high-pitched voice cried out in pain, following up the exclaiming with a few choice words directed at the object that dare hurt her.

"Hi, Min-ji. I'm home," I called out sarcastically and turned the corner to see my neighbor and only friend holding her head in front of my TV. She looked up at me and smiled sheepishly.

"Heh, heh." She laughed nervously. "You caught me."

I set down my bag and crossed my arm. Min-ji Feng, my energetic neighbor who is two years younger than me. Her frizzy hair, a strange shade of orange from trying to bleach it at home, was in pigtails today. Her failed self-hair dye was what lead to the bet resulting in my own hair having a streak of silver in the front. I would have never done it if it wasn't for Min-ji, but I do like the silver. It makes me look older; makes people take me more seriously.

Min-ji had moved in a couple months after I had. As soon as she arrived, she was determined to befriend me. She even started coming to my house every afternoon and just talked while I politely listened. Eventually, I began to talk back occasionally, which she seemed to enjoy. There was something very relaxing about her being around just talking. She could easily hold the conversation for two people. It wasn't like other conversations that I had to put effort into. The friendship seemed mutually beneficial, as Min-ji really just needed someone to listen and I was happy to comply.

"Wait, it's not _that_ late! What are you doing back so soon?" Min-ji pouted. "Don't you have a job?"

"I got off early, and besides," I looked her in the eye. "Don't you have a job?"

"Heh heh, funny story actually…"

"Did you get fired again?"

"How was I supposed to know they watch those security tapes?!"

"And I guess that asking how you got in my apartment is a useless question," I groaned. I was sure I locked the door this morning.

"Oh, yeah. I just picked the lock," she said with an innocent grin. "It wasn't that hard."

My lock was earthbending-proof, flame-proof, airbending-proof, and waterproof, but I suppose it was no match for a nonbender with an abundance of bobby pins and way too much time on her hands.

"Honestly, I'm tempted to say you should forget working part-time and join the mafia," I said.

"I don't think that would work well with my best friend being a cop and all!" Min-ji said.

"Detective," I corrected.

"Right, right," she saluted. "Detective Jinshu."

I looked past Min-ji at the TV. Some "comedy" show was playing softly, the vivid colors reflecting onto Min-ji's pale skin.

"Why are you watch TV at my house? Don't you have your own?" I crossed my arms.

"Well, the new episode of Teen Avatar was going to play today..." she said.

"Teen Avatar?" I asked. Her eyes light up.

"Yeah! It's the sequel to Kid Avatar? They took the three kids that were born the same day Avatar Korra died…"

"You can just call them potential avatars,"

"And they began filming them as kids. Their training to master earthbending, their relationships with one another and other people, all the drama that comes with being a potential avatar!" Min-ji explained. "They ended the series on their 13th birthday, but only because of the new show: Teen Avatar! I binge watched all of Kid Avatar last night and found out the next episode of Teen Avatar was airing today! And, you know, my TV is crap, and you just bought a brand new one…"

"So you broke into my apartment to watch the newest episode of a TV show," I summarized in a sarcastic tone.

"Yes," she grinned confidently. "At first I was totally team Oma because she's just so cute! But then, she got really annoying in the later season, and then Jiahao started dating Min and they were just so cute! So now I'm totally team Jiahao. But really, all three of them just seem so cool! I never knew earthbending was so epic!"

"Gee, thanks," I muttered, but she didn't seem to hear me. She continued on about the different interactions of the potential avatars, which I really didn't care about. One of them was going to get enough attention when the avatar is revealed. It seemed a little sad that they were already being exposed. I noted that the show playing on the TV was not Teen Avatar. The show must have ended by now.

My head did feel a lot better being at home. Or, perhaps, the medicine had finally kicked in. Either way, I wasn't complaining.

"I'm surprised you aren't more into the show, I mean, with your obsession with avatars!" Min-ji said. I frowned.

"Correction: past avatars. And it's not an obsession!" I protested.

"Sure, sure, but if I spend hours researching my favorite characters I have a problem," Min-ji said.

"Besides, these kids are only three of the potential avatars. There's no guarantee that one of them is the avatar," I noted. Min-ji stuck out her tongue.

"Anyways, it's great that you're back early because now we have more time to prepare!" Min-ji said.

"Prepare?" I asked. "Prepare for what?"

"Come on, Tai," she pouted. "Your date tonight! Duh!"

"Oh right," I bite my tongue. I had completely forgotten that I was supposed to go on a date tonight. Apparently, Min-ji's boyfriend, Kanuha, has this "totally cute friend who's totally single". Min-ji and Kanuha had hatched their entire plan to get their friends together. I had never met Kanuha's friend, but if he was anything like Kanuha, tonight wasn't going to be fun.

"Oh my stars! I'm so excited!" Min-ji squealed in delight. "I already ship you two!"

"I don't know, Min. I'm thinking about canceling-"

"What!? You can not cancel! He's expecting you!"

"Yeah, but I don't know the first thing about him-"

"Going in blind is the optimal dating experience! Besides, he's Kanu's friend, so it's not going on a blind date with some creepy serial killer!"

"But, I don't even own anything nice for a date-"

"You're right, all you own are suits, like you seriously need a new wardrobe. But it's fine, you can just borrow some of my clothes!"

"But-"

"No more buts! It's going to be fine!" Min-ji insisted. "Now, you need to go take a shower, you smell like burnt chicken."

"You have no idea," I muttered.


	2. Chapter 2: Mr Vanilla

I arrived at the restaurant exactly fifteen minutes early. I could never stand being late, probably the result of being late to everything when my dad still took me places. I'd rather wait fifteen minutes for my date than make him wait for me.

The restaurant was rather large and looked very expensive. The carpets were dark red with intricate designs dyed on it. Each table had an embroidered white cloth over it with beautifully polished plates and silverware. I was especially impressed by the giant, golden chandeliers carrying a hundred lit candles. Occasionally, a member of the staff would walk by and firebend to refresh the flames, making the room a bit brighter.

I sat at a booth by a large window, giving me a beautiful view of the city at night. All the different lights sparkled and glowed, making them look like multi-colored stars. It reminded me of the view from my mom's apartment. We only stayed there for a couple of months, but I always loved climbing up to the higher floors to look out the small windows. The city looked so different from up so high, less chaotic, less stressful. It looked like a perfect painting.

It seemed like every table in the room had some young couple sitting at it, all donned in pearls and diamonds like they had never missed a meal in their life. At least I didn't feel as out-of-place as I thought I would when Min-ji practically demanded I wear this green dress with a v-neck a little too low for comfort. When I had refused to take off my metalbending cuffs, she gave me a silver choker and hoops to match it. I had to admit, Min-ji was much better at social situations than I was.

Grabbing my clutch, I pulled out my cell phone and pressed my thumb between the two panels, opening it just enough to trigger the small screen on the front. When I slipped my thumb out, the phone shut again and the screen lit up.

"6:30," I read aloud.

"Precisely on time, then,"

I looked up quickly to the source of the voice. In front of me stood a man, probably about 30, with messy brown hair and a smirk on his pale lips. His golden eyes were partially hidden behind thin, red glasses, but they had a life to them that I hadn't seen before. It seemed to be a confidence that I didn't know existed. He wore a simple suit with a maroon tie. He looked much more comfortable in the formal wear than I must have. He gave me a smile and slipped into the booth, positioning himself in front of me.

"I hope you weren't waiting long," he said.

"Not at all," I said. It wasn't entirely a lie. Fifteen minutes wasn't long at all for me. "You must be Kojin Kasai."

"And you must be Tai Jinshu," he reached out his hand. I smiled as we shook. "It's very nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too," I responded automatically.

"I must say, Kanuha's description did not do you justice. You're more beautiful than I could have ever dreamed," Kojin said in a nonchalant voice, as if it was normal to compliment people so fondly. I was taken back and found my face getting hot. I held my napkin to my face quickly, pretending to wipe my mouth.

"Thank you," I said. How was I supposed to react to that? "I would return the compliment, but I'm afraid Min-ji won't tell me anything about you. Really, I'm just relieved that you're not some creepy homeless guy."

Kojin laughed. It wasn't a loud or even long laugh, but it seemed so pure. There was no fear behind it, just like the light in his eyes. There was something about that laugh that made my stomach shift and made my chest feel strange. I suddenly felt nervous about looking him in the eye and shifted my view to the candle in between us. It bounced and glowed with his laughter and with the same fearless velocity.

"Well, I'm hope that your fears about me have been stilled," he said in a tone like he was quoted something. I worried for a moment that it may have been a saying I was unfamiliar with, but smiled anyways and nodded.

"Yes, very much so," I said. I paused and then reviewed my mental list of topics for the evening. I always tried to think of things to say before events to avoid awkward silences. If there's one thing I hated more than annoying small talk, it was awkward silence. "So, how do you know Kanuha?"

"He and I actually collaborate sometimes at work," he answered. I nodded, doing my best to show I was paying attention. I tried to remember what Kanuha did for a living. I felt like it was something with writing. Oh, that's right.

"Are you a news reporter then?" I asked. It was so hard to imagine Kanuha, who I knew to be a big sad bear-like man, as the same bright-eyed, charismatic Kanuha Yung that gave the latest sports news everyday. Not that I watched much sports.

"No, actually I'm a journalist," he replied. I felt my smile drop a bit. "And what about you?"

"Detective," I said flatly. We both paused a moment before Kojin broke the silence with a grin.

"Well don't worry. Everything's completely off the record," he reassured me.

"That's what they always say in crime shows."

"I suppose they do. Right before the detective spills all the details of the big case and the journalist leaks everything."

"You're not taking any notes from that, are you?"

"That depends…" he mused. I could see the reflection of the candle in his wide, playful eyes. "You wouldn't happen to be working on a big case right now would you?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," I smirked.

"Alright, but in all honesty, you have nothing to worry about! That kind of reporting is cheap and frankly immoral. I much prefer to figure things out myself instead of manipulating people," Kojin said.

"That's a relief," I said. In any other situation, I wouldn't believe him. Or at least, not trust him completely. But, there was something about the certainty in his voice that made me want to believe him.

"Hello, welcome to the Gilacorn," a young brunette in formal wear greeted us holding two menus. She gave us the menus as she introduced herself. "My name is Cho Doi and I'll be your waitress tonight."

I grabbed the menu when she handed it to me, giving a slight nod of acknowledgement.

"Thank you, Cho Dai," Kojin said with a charismatic grin.

"Would you like to see the wine list?" the waitress asked.

There's little clues you pick up when part of your job is interrogating people. The way someone swallows before delivering a perfect lie or that excessive blinking is a sign that the person is nervous. I saw Kojin's shoulders tense just the slightest, a motion more would overlook. I saw the courage drop from his eyes for a millisecond even though his warm smile stayed frozen on his face.

But then, it was gone and he was comfortably shaking his head.

"I'm good," he said before looking at me. "Unless you wanted something."

"No thanks," I told them.

"Can I get you two started with drinks?" she asked.

I turned to the back of the menu to see the drinks. As expected, and yet still frustrating, the drinks were very overpriced. My drink of choice, iced tea, was 150 yuan, a price that I couldn't help but flinch at.

"Just water for me," I said with the most innocent smile I could manage.

"Water for me as well," Kojin agreed. The waitress nodded, scribbling down the order.

"Alright then, I'll be back with your waters," she said before giving a small bow and walking off.

Opening my menu, I was greeted with a list of entrees I barely recognized, each with a large price tag hovering beside it. I was suddenly struck with the question of who would pay for the meal. Should I expect him to pay for it? It was traditional for the man to take the initiative and pay for the meal. How much to journalist even make? I would not be comfortable making someone pay for anything at this place. Min-ji didn't really tell me anything about this restaurant beforehand, or even who decided we would at here. I hoped Kojin wasn't rethinking his agreement to this.

I should offer to pay for it myself, but heaven knows I didn't want to. Maybe I could suggest we split the bill? But what if by suggesting that he thinking I don't like him, or don't think that the relationship will work. I don't want to indicate anything negative.

Fighting the urge to hang my head and sigh, I decided to pick something cheap and not worry about the check and it's implications for now. This is why I don't date. Well, one of the reasons.

"Is everything alright?" Kojin asked. I looked up quickly.

"Huh? Oh, no! Nothing-it's fine," I stuttered, shaking my head with a nervous smile.

"Sorry, you just looked a little panicked for a moment," he said. I felt my cheeks get a little hot.

"Oh, yeah. I'm just an anxious person," I admitted. His facial expression changed softly from confused to worry, so I clarified a bit. "I don't have anxiety disorder or anything. Just jumpy."

"Good to know," he said. "I feel like I'm learning so many news things about you today."

"It's to be expected," I said. He raised an eyebrow. "I mean, you did just meet me. So everything I tell you is new information. At least I hope so."

"And now I know that you have a great sense of humor." He laughed. He looked at me with those golden eyes. I had never seen eyes so yellow before. Of course, I knew plenty of firebenders with light eyes, but never that striking golden shade. Looking closer, though, I noticed something a bit off.

"Your left eye," I said. Kojin's eyes widened a bit, letting in even more light. He seemed to beam at the mention of his eyes, clearly one of his proudest features. "It's just the tiniest big darker than your right eye."

"Is it?" he asked, surprised. He looked around, his eyes darting to the sides. "I can't really tell."

"I guess you can't." I laughed. "It's very subtle, but it's definitely different. Very unique."

"All these years, I never knew I was dichromatic," he hummed.

"It's possible they shifted colors over the years," I said. His eyebrows lowered.

"That's a thing that can happen?" he asked. "Do people's eyes just change colors?"

"My cousin's eyes did," I nodded. "His eyes used to be ice blue, but they changed to a dark brown when he got older. It was the strangest thing."

"Was he mixed?"

"Yeah, his mom was a waterbender, dad's from the Earth Kingdom. Why?"

"Well, a friend of mine was doing research on whether or not mixing bendings effects the children."

"Does it have any effect?"

"He said the 'data was inconclusive', so who knows?"

"Hm, what about you?"

"What about me?"

"Are you mixed? I'd guess you're of Fire Nation origin."

"You guess correctly. I actually used to live in the Fire Nation. Both my parents were benders. You?"

"My mother was from the Earth Kingdom, but my dad is a metal bender who was born here in Republic City. I've lived here my whole life."

"So are you a metalbender?" Kojin asked. He nodded towards my cuffs. "It would explain the bracelets."

"Yeah, the 'bracelets' are my authorized weapon of choice. Never leave home without them." I said.

The waitress, I had already forgotten her name, walked back to us with a smooth tray, two tall glasses of iced water balanced on it.

"Hello, sorry for the wait," she greeted us, setting down the two glasses in front of us. "So, are you ready to order?"

I ordered the cheapest thing off the menu that was still an actual entree. I didn't really notice what Kojin ordered, being to preoccupied with trying to figure out whether I should hand back the menu now or after Kojin ordered. We handed back the menus and the waitress left again.

"This place is really nice," I commented. Kojin nodded.

"Yeah, but not really my scene," he said. He said it so comfortably like he wasn't even paying attention, just looking out of the window into the distance.

"Really?" I said, taking a sip of my water.

"I mean, everything looks so delicate. I feel like if I might the tiniest mistake something will break," he explained with the same faraway tone.

"I can understand that," I said. I had felt like that about a lot of things lately.

"To be honest, and probably a little silly," he said, then leaned forward and whispered. "I think the food is just as good at fast food places."

"Sure, but it's definitely not as good for you." I snicked.

"Oh yeah, who knows what they put in that chicken," he said.

I moved to grab my water without taking my eyes off Kojin. The water glass was so smooth and lined with little drops of water. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that translated to very slippery in time, and my light grasp was no match for the glasses' sleek texture. It fell right out of my hand and hit the table at an angle knocking it over. All the water rushed out and over the table, right onto my lap.

I bite my lip and fought the urge to curse as the icy wet seeped into the dress and hit my legs. Oh goodness, Min-ji is gonna kill me, I thought.

"Oh my stars, are you okay?" Kojin said through bursts of giggles, grabbing his napkin to clean up the water on the table.

"Yeah, it's just water," I said, dabbing at the dress with my napkin. Stupid cloth napkins, I thought. They did nothing to help the mass of water sitting in my lap. Standing up shakily, I wiped off my dress with my hands, shaking off some of the water. "I'll be fine if I can find something to clean this up with."

"They probably have towels in the bathroom," Kojin suggested. I nodded. "Do you know where the bathroom is?"

"Yeah, I saw it on the way in," I said. "I'll be back."

The bathroom was just as ridiculously fancy as the rest of the restaurant. At least they had paper towels. I layered paper on top of the dress, waiting for them to soak up the water before changing them out with drier towels and waiting for those to soak.

I had set my clutch on the counter. Luckily, the bathroom was empty so I didn't have to really keep an eye on it. I heard my phone ding from inside the small purse. Ignoring a text message was not an option for me, as any text could mean a new body or some breakthrough on the case. That or, as was the case for this text as I discovered when I opened my phone, it was just Min-ji who loved texting people almost as much as fantasizing about fictional characters.

"Hey how's the date going?" it read. I was about to shut the phone, thinking it would be better to tell her in person, when I remembered that I had just spilled water on her dress and should probably let her know.

I pressed a button pulling up the options panel on the text. I selected the "call" option and saw the screen change from Min-ji's text to an icon of a phone. Pressing the phone to my ear, I heard the familiar ring as I waited for Min-ji to pick up.

"Hey, Tai! What's up?" her high-pitched voice sounded distorted coming out of my phone's speakers. If I wasn't used to talking to her on the phone, I would have no idea what she was saying. "How's the date?"

"It's okay, but listen," I said. I hesitated before continuing. "I accidentally spilled my drink on your dress. I'm so sorry."

I heard Min-ji take a breath.

"That's fine," she said slowly with a forced positive tone. "I know a good dry cleaner that can get out tea stains."

"It's not tea, thank goodness, just water," I added quickly. I heard Min-ji let out a big breath and laugh.

"Oh my goodness, Tai! Don't scare me like that! Water's fine, water's easy! Are you sure there isn't a waterbender there that can help you out?" Min-ji said, her voice full of relief.

"I don't think I'd be comfortable asking if anyone is a waterbender," I admitted.

"Alright then, I'll take it to the cleaners tomorrow. There's a talented waterbender there that's a personal friend of mine. She'll be able to fix it in a jiffy!"

"Thanks, Min-ji."

"No problem! Anything for my bestie! So, aside from you acting like a total klutz, how's the dating going?"

"Good, I guess. I mean, I feel a little awkward."

"Um, duh, it's a first date! It's gonna be a little awkward!"

"I suppose so."

"Is he cute?"

"What? Is who cute?"

"Kojin! Is he cute?"

"Don't you know him? I thought he was Kanuha's friend."

"He is, but I haven't met all Kunu's friends! I'm not THAT obsessed. So...Is. He. Cute?"

"Sure, you can say that."

"Aw, you're no fun."

"Sorry to disappoint," I said sarcastically as someone else walked into the bathroom. I stepped to the side, pressing my back against the wall and avoided eye contact. I didn't need to - the bathroom was gigantic - but I felt more comfortable that way.

"Well, I'll let you get back to your date!" Min-ji said. "Have fun!"

"I'll do my best," I muttered. I lowered the phone from my ear and clicked the end button. Taking a breath, I examined the dress again. It was still a little wet and there was a noticeable discoloration from the water. Still, it was at least drier now. It would have to do.

When I got back to the table, I saw that our food has already arrived. I could see steam rising from my food.

"Wow, that was fast," I said. Kojin looked up and smiled at me.

"I know, right?" he said. I took my seat across from him again. I noticed that he hadn't touched his food yet. Had he really waited for me?

"This food smells heavenly," I said, catching a whiff of the rich rice and seasoned seafood.

"Agreed," Kojin said, sweeping the steam towards his nose and taking a deep breath. "Maybe a little better than fast food."

"And still surprisingly fast," I noted. Kojin smirked and began to cut into his fish. I took it as a green light to eat and began to scoop the rice into my mouth.

"Hm," Kojin hummed. "Quality fast food."

"So, we already discussed background and occupation," I said, trying to think back to our earlier conversation.

"What is this, a job interview?" Kojin laughed.

"You know, that's actually not a bad idea."

"What do you mean?"

"We could pretend this is a job interview and answer each other's questions. What better way to get to know each other?"

"Well, I don't know about you, but I normally lie at job interviews."

I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Hey, you know what they say. Dress for the job you want, not the job you have! You gotta put your best foot forward!"

"Alright then, an honest job interview."

"Sure," Kojin said. I hummed and took a sip of my water, trying to think of a question.

"So, how long have you lived in Republic City?" I asked.

"I actually just moved here."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's been, well actually it's been a couple of months now. Time really does fly."

"Huh," I nodded slowly. Kojin tilted his head.

"Is there something wrong with that?"

"No, it's just for some reason I thought you have lived here longer than a few months. I guess I just kinda assumed you had been friends with Kanuha for a while."

"Well, I have been friends with Kanuha for a while," he said. Now, it was my turn to look confused. He chuckled and said, "haven't you heard of the internet?"

"You two worked together over the internet?" I asked, surprised.

"Is that really so shocking?"

"I just can't see Kanuha using the internet."

"Are you kidding? I can't imagine how anyone could pry him away from the internet!"

"All I know about Kanuha is from a few short conversations with him and Min-ji's legendarily long rants."

"I've never really met Min-ji. I guess I can only speculate about these so-called legendary rants."

"I hope you never have to hear one." I laughed. "But Min-ji's sweet. She can talk an ear off, but she has a good heart. And at least she's not boring."

"Well, I hope her match-making skills are as good as her social skills," Kojin looked me in the eye, but I quickly broke the gaze. There was something intimidating about them. I stuffed my face with a few more scoops of rice. "Well, I believe it's my turn to ask a question?"

"I don't know; do you normally take turns asking questions at job interviews?" I asked. Kojin shrugged. "Okay, whatever. Ask away."

"Hm…" Kojin tapped his fork against his chin. "What is your favorite ice cream flavor?"

I raised my eyebrows, taken back by the silly question. I gave a short laugh, "That's a strange question."

"Sure, but it's my personal belief that you can tell a lot about a person by their favorite flavor of ice cream," Kojin smirked. I wanted to protest, ask how on earth you can tell anything about a person by their favorite icecream flavor. Instead, I set down my fork and eyed him with curiosity. "So, what is it?"

"I don't care much for ice cream," I admitted.

"Are you kidding?" He sounded absolutely shocked as if ice cream wasn't a treat for children and most people had outgrown it by the time they reached adulthood. That was my experiences anyway. "How can you not like ice cream?"

"I used to like it," I said. "I just don't really have a sweet tooth anymore."

"You're saying you outgrew ice cream?" he asked with wide eyes. I nodded hesitantly and he shook his head in return. "What a cruel fate….to outgrow ice cream…"

"But when I was little, I adored Rocky Road," I said with a hopeful smile. His expression quickly changed from that of exaggerated disappointed to amused disbelief.\

"Really? Rocky Road?"

"What? It's good."

"That's gotta be the cheesiest, most Eath-bender-y thing you've said all evening." He chuckled. I felt my ears begin to turn red when I realized how silly my choice in ice cream sounded.

"Sure, and what's your favorite," I said, sarcastically.

"Hold on, you have to give me time to think of a good pun," Kojin put his hand to his chin in an exaggerated thinking pose. He finally shrugged and put down up his hands. "Why are there no fire-theme ice creams?"

"FIRE-theme ICE cream?" I laughed. "Hm, strange there's no correlation between the two."

"Well, aside from flavor puns, my real favorite ice cream flavor is vanilla."

"Vanilla?" I repeated with slight surprised. "You don't really strike me as a plain flavors guy."

"Oh, no, not plain ice cream! Vanilla! With actual vanilla in the ice cream," Kojin hummed, his face lighting up at the thought of tasting the sweet treat.

"Alright, and what can your choice of 'actual vanilla' tell me about you as a person?"

"Well, it tells you I have incredibly delicate tastebuds."

"I'll have to keep that in mind for-" I laughed, but cut myself off before I could let the words "next time" slip out of my mouth. He looked up at me expectantly; his eyes showing he heard what I dare not say. I wanted to break the gaze, turn my attention to my empty plate, or the softly glowing candle, or anything else, but….

There was something about his face that made me not want to look away.

"Can I help you with anything?" the waitress appeared beside me, startling me enough to force my attention off of Kojin. The young woman smirked at the two of us. Clearly, this was not the first time she had interrupted a couple making lovey-dovey faces at each other. "I just wanted to leave the check here. No rush."

"Thank you," Kojin said, nodding at the waitress. She left without another word.

"I really should get going," I said quickly. I don't know why I felt the need to leave. It seemed that if I stayed another second I would inevitably do something incredibly stupid. I stood up and brushed a few stray crumbs off my, or I suppose Min-ji's, dress. "You know, it's late, and I have work in the morning."

"Of course, I didn't mean to keep you." Kojin grabbed the checkbook and began to pull out his wallet. I paused as he took out a credit card and opened the small book, debating whether or not I should offer to split the bill. He must have seen me because he flashed me another charming grin. "Don't worry. It's on me, tonight. If…"

"If?" I asked, a bit worried.

"If you promise you'll help me pay next time." He smirked. I tried to roll my eyes, but couldn't help but smile. "Hey, I'm not made of money."

"Alright." I laughed. "Until next time."

"I look forward to it, Mrs. Rocky Road."


End file.
